Friday, February 24, 2012

Are you a fan of Iron Man? The Hulk? Thor? Captain America? Well now you can see them all come together in the newly released trailer of the upcoming movie, The Avengers.

My husband and I are so excited for May 4th to role around so that we finally see it on the big screen. We have seen all the characters in their individual films and can't wait to see how they all come together as a team.

I think I still like Iron Man and his sarcastic nature the best. But Thor isn't so bad to watch up there on the big screen either. ;) Who is your favorite Avenger?? Grab a Latte, Put Up Your Feet, and Join the Discussion!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

My family and I are huge Disney fans. Anything and everything Disney takes me to a happy place! One of my favorite movies is The Lion King and both of my daughters also love the movie. In trying to expand my daughters love for art, I have longed to take them to see the Lion King on Broadway. A trip to New York City with my young daughters is something I am not quite brave enough to do....yet.
When I found out the musical toured the US, I was just waiting for it to come to our area. I was very excited when our homeschool group planned a field trip to the tour in a nearby city. So, last week we made the 2 1/2 hour drive to the theater. My girls were very excited.

We arrived early on the very rainy day and made our way into the theater. Yes, they have merchandise for sale: shirts, programs, stuffed animals, etc. Of course, we can not pass by the merchandise area without making a purchase, since my girls love souvenirs. They always say they need something to remember the trip by...although I do keep ticket stubs and programs (just not their idea of a souvenir). They both ended up with a stuffed doll of Nala.

We made our way into the theater and found our seats. I was a little worried that my youngest would be looking for the cartoon characters, but that would not be the case. She was mesmerized with the entire show. The costumes and sets were breathtaking. The actors/actresses were phenomenal. Of course, the music is beautiful. We had to download the album when we got home and they continuously listen and sing along to it. I wish we could have taken pictures, although I doubt the pictures would have done it justice.

Maybe you have already seen the musical, if not, I highly recommend it. It was a bit on the pricey side, but we went to a mid-week matinee, so that did help cut the cost. It was well worth the trip and I would definitely go see it again. Does anyone have suggestions for other Broadway plays on tour that are a must see?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

When schools teach about bullying, do they also warn the kids of the consequences of bringing weapons to school? Do they teach elementary kids what do if they know of a fellow student who is in possession of a weapon?

I have been involved with the public school system for about six years and although I know the student handbook forbids weapons of any kind on school property, I don't recall ever hearing a discussion about it amongst the staff and students. Every grade level learns about bullies and how to deal with them, but are we teaching our young elementary students what to do if they suspect a fellow student has a weapon? Not that I can recall.

Hopefully, your kids are aware and will never have to face this issue, but it is worth discussing with them at home several times over the year. It is also worth bringing up to your school board. It can't hurt to expand the bully discussion just a little wider in the younger grades. Can it? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

My sister and I loved to eat frozen cookie dough growing up. We would make it exactly like the recipe said except we would leave out the egg. For any of you who love cookie dough ice cream, this is definitely a recipe you will want to try.

Directions1. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, chocolate chips, and walnuts, if desired, and mix until well blended. Roll dough into bite-sized balls (or use a small ice cream scoop). Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Store balls in resealable plastic bags in the freezer.